Northwestern College announces ACT/SAT waiver for 2021 high school graduates

Northwestern College is waiving the ACT/SAT score requirement for this year’s high school seniors who apply to the college.

“We know it’s been and will continue to be a difficult year for all students,” says Jackie Davis, Northwestern’s dean of admissions. “Some high school seniors haven’t had the chance to take the ACT or SAT, so we’ve removed that as a requirement. Any high school senior can apply, and their acceptance will be based on their high school GPA. We’re revising our academic scholarship model to do the same GPA-only calculation.”

Northwestern College’s academic honors scholarships, which range from $8,000 to $18,000, have historically been based on students’ GPA plus their standardized test scores. This year, students will have the option of basing their academic scholarship on their GPA only or on a combination of their GPA and test scores if they’ve been able to take the ACT or SAT. (Test scores may still be required for some extracurricular eligibility, such as participation in intercollegiate athletics, as currently required by the NAIA.)

“Reporting scores, even if you have them, will be optional,” says Davis. “We’ll consider your GPA only or your GPA plus your test score and use whichever measurement gives you the best academic scholarship.

“We just want to remove even one worry for our incoming class if we can,” Davis says.